1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a combination weigher including a plurality of discharge paths.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, there is known a combination weigher in which combination calculation is performed by using the weights of objects held in a plurality of weighing hoppers to find weighing hoppers making up a combination in which the total weight of the objects falls within a predetermined weight range, and the objects are discharged from the weighing hoppers making up the combination, collected by a collecting chute, and discharged to a packaging machine, or the like.
The combination weigher is provided with a plurality of discharge paths of the objects to improve a processing ability (e.g., see International Application Publication No. 2012/056488, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application Publication No. 2013-092408, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application Publication No. 2008-20269, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application Publication No. Hei. 8-152353).
For example, International Application Publication No. 2012/056488 and Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application Publication No. 2013-092408 disclose a combination weigher including three discharge paths. In this combination weigher, each of a plurality of weighing hoppers is provided with an inner gate which opens inward and an outer gate which opens outward. Below the plurality of weighing hoppers, a collecting chute including an inner funnel and two outer funnels is provided such that the two outer funnels are placed around the inner funnel. The objects are discharged through discharge outlets of these three funnels.
Below the combination weigher, for example, a packaging machine including three inlets is placed. The objects discharged through the three discharge outlets of the combination weigher are fed into the corresponding inlets of the packaging machine and packaged in the packaging machine.